Electric clock.



No. 825,833.v PATENTED JULY l0, 1906.

R. L. EIGHT.

ELEQTRIG CLOCK. APPLIGATION FILED AUG.a1..19o5.

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UNITED STATES PATENT onirica.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 190,6.

Application led August 3l, 1905. Serial No. 276,593.

To ca/,I/ 'Lu/tom, it nur/y con/cern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT L. HIGHT, a ment-wheel B,

citizen of the United States, residing at Decatur, in the county of Macon, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Clocks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an electric clock, and particularly to a master-clock adapted to be electrically wound.

The invention has for an object to provide an improved construction and arrangement of the electrically-controlled means by which the clock may be wound by a rotary motor having an intermittent motion, said motion being controlled by contact means carried on the shaft of the escapement-wheel.

A further object is to provide a magnetic friction-brake cooperating with a disk carried on the armature-shaft for controlling the extent of rotation of said shaft, said shaft being provided with means for positively breaking the contact after each movement of the armature-shaft.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth, and the novel features thereof defined in the appended claims.

Tn the drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of the master-clock, taken on the line l l, Fig. 2, and shown in circuit with the preferred construction of secondary clock. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3, Fig.

2. Fig. 4 is a similar View on the line 4 4,

Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5 5, Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 6 Fig. 2.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings. The clock-movement may be mounted in any suitable way well known in this art and is controlled by the usual construction of pendulum A, as shown in Fig. 2, which is mounted at its upper end by means of the spring-plate A, secured to the post A2 in the usual manner. This pendulum in its movement is adapted to engage the depending arm A5, carried by the shaft A4 of the escapement-wheel anchor A5, said shaft being suitably mounted to oscillate in the frame of the clock. The depending arm A3 is provided with a lateral projection A5, adapted to contact with or be connected to the pendulum.

The anchor A5 cooperates with the escapecarried upon the Windingshaft B, which shaft is surrounded by a coilspring B7, secured at one end to a collar B5, carried by said shaft, and at its opposite end to a collar B4, loosely mounted upon a stubshaft and connected with the winding-pinion B5. This pinion meshes with a corresponding pinion B6, secured to the armatureshaft B7. The armature-shaft is provided with the armature C, surrounded by a fieldmagnet C of ordinary construction, such'as present in rotary electrical motors; The shaft B is provided at the front of the clockmovement with the usual barrel-pinion D, meshing with a driving-gear D, the latter being provided upon its shaft with a barrelpinion D2, meshing with a gear D5, carried upon a counter-shaft, said counter-shaft having thereon a barrel-pinion D4 and a gear D5, the latter meshing with a pinion D5, carried upon the shaft of the gear D7, which in turn meshes with the barrel-pinion D5 'in the usual manner incident to clock movements, as shown by Fig. l. By this means the movements of the hands of the clock are relatively controlled.

For the purpose of establishing electrical contact and energizing ofthe motor a contactbridge C5 is loosely mounted upon the driving-shaft B and is rotated thereon by means of a pin or projection C5, carried by the collar B3 upon said shaft, so that .in the rotation thereof the bridge C2 is lifted and in its descending movement rests upon the parallel contact-plates C?, mounted on an insulatingblock ,C7 upon the frame. The circuit from these contacts extends through the line E to one of the brushes C5 upon the armature-shaft B7, while the opposite 4brush is connected by means of the line E with an electromagnet E2 at the base of the motor, said magnet, having the line E3 extending therefrom t0 the energizing-magnet of the secondary clock, as shown in Fig. l, the return-line E5 from said energizing-magnet being in circuit with the battery E6, if desired, and is connected by line E7 with the opposite contact-plate. By this means an intermittent i current is allowed to pass through the motor, producing a similar motion thereof and winding the spring B2 to suflicient extent to continue the driving of the escapement-wheel and coperating parts. In order to determine positively the extent of travel of this motorand arrest the same without jar or vibration, the

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armature-shaft is provided with a frictiondisk F, secured thereto, as shown in Fig. 5, and adapted to cooperate with a friction brake-arm F', carried by the sleeve F2, formed of magnetic material, and adapted to be attracted by the pole-piece F, extei'iding from the magnet E'l at the base of the motor, the pole-piece F 3 having an extension F 'l entering a suitable recess in the sleeve F2 to guide its movement and being provided with the usual brass covering F5 to prevent sticking or adhesion of the parts while attracted toward each other. \Vhen the circuit is closed, the sleeve is attracted by the polepiece F and drawn away from the disk F, thus placing the spring F 7 under tension, and when the circuit is broken said. spring forces the sleeve and brake-arm carried thc eby into contact with the disk. It is also desirable to immediately break the contact between the bridge and plates after the movement of the motor, and this is acconnilished by means of a pin G, carried by the pinion B and adapted to engage a lever G, carried by the rock-shaft G2, which shaft is provided with a restoring-spring G5 and carries at its forward portion an arm G, disposed between the contact-plates Cl so as to engage the bridge C2 and 'force the same o'fl. of the contact-points.

lVhile the n'iaster-clock hereiubelbre described may be used with any desired construction of secondary clock, still the form shown in Fig. l, has been found particularly advantageous and adapted to cooperate with the construction and arrangement of parts hereinbefore described. ln this secondary clock the energizing-magnet H is in. circuit with the lines E1 and. E", hereinbefore described, and is provided. at each end with ypole-pieces Hf, having disposed between the same an armature lf2, pivotally mounted and suitably weighted-for instance, by means of the extended arm and weight H- so as to remove the pole -faces thereof from the polepieces Hf, as shown in Fig. 1. The shaft of this armature is also provided with an arm Hf, carrying at its upper end shuttle H5, adapted to cooperate with a series of teeth or pins H", carried by a minute-wheel H7, provided. with the usual clock-gearing HS, controlling the hour and minute hands of the secondary clock.

In the operation of the invention the tension-spring B is placed under sufficient tension to rotate the shaft of the escapenientwheel for one or more revolutions, and during this rotation the contact-bridge is lifted by the pin C3, carried by said shaft, and dropped by gravity upon the plates C, thus passing current to the motor, which by the rotation of its armature rewinds the spring on the shaft for one or more rotations. This armatureshaft has secured thereto the disk F, and in its rotation with the shaft the pin G thereon engages the lever controlling the rock-shaft G2, the arm G of which at once forces the bridge out of contact with the plates, thus cutting 0H the current from the motor and permitting the brake-arin F to engage the disk to limit the extent of movenunit of the motor and to arrest the same. The current when passing through the master-clock, as hereinbefore described, coi'itinues through the magnet H of the secondary clock, thus oscillating the armature thereof and also the shuttle carried bysaid armature, so as to produce a step-by-step rotation of the minutewheel therein, as the parts here shown are constructed and arranged to energize the motor of the n'iaster-clock and the magnet of the secondary clock once each iniiiute.

The extension F from the pole-piece F not only guides the sleeve, but also causes the lines of force or niagnetic flux to [low from one po e-piece to the other through said extension, thereby causing the sleeve Ftz to be attracted to the pole-piece Ff with about three times its usual strength.

.llaving now described my `invention and set forth its merits, what i claim, and desire to secure by .Letters Patent, is-

l.. ln anv electric clock, an escapement niechanism, an actuating-spring therefor, a rotary electric motor for intermittently rewinding said spring, currentcontrolling means for said motor carried. by said escapement mechanism, and an automatic brake operatively connected to said motor and in circuit therewith and with the current-controlling means.

2. in an electric clock, a n'iaster-clock having an escapement mechanism, an actuatingspring therefor, a rotary electric motor for winding said spring, means carried by the escapement mechanism for intermittently completing circuit to said motor, a secondary clock, and a single circuit extending from said circuit-completing means to said motor and secondary clock.

3. ln an electric clock, an escapementwheel and anchor, a spring for actuating said wheel, an electric motor adapted to intermittently rewind said spring, a contact-bridge controlled by the shaft of said escapcinentwheel, an armature-shaft for said motor provided with a brake meniiber, a cooperating brake electrically released therefrom during the movement of the motor, and means controlled by said armature-shaft for positively moving said bridge and breaking circuit.

el. In an electric clock, an escapementwheel and anchor, a contact-bridge loosely mounted upon the shaft of said escapementwheel, a spring secured to said shaft, a projection carried. by said shaft for rotating said bridge, separated contact-plates disposed in the path of travel of said bridge, and an electric motor inA circuit with said plates and geared to rewind said spring.

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5. In an electric clock, an escapement- Wheel and anchor, a contact-bridge loosely mounted upon the shaft of said escapement- Wheel, a spring secured to said shaft, a proj ection carried by said shaft for rotating said bridge, contact-plates disposed in the path of travel of said bridge, an electric motor in circuit With said plates, a projection disposed upon the armature-shaft of said motor, a rock-shaft having a lever disposed in the path of said projection, and an oscillating arm at the opposite end of said rock-shaft disposed adjacent to said plates to engage and remove the bridge therefrom.

6. In an electric clock, a pendulum, an actuating-spring therefor, a rotary electric motor for rewinding said spring, means for intermittently feeding current to said motor, a brake-disk secured to the armature-shaft of said motor, and a brakearm cooperating With said disk.

7. In an electric clock, a pendulum, an actuating-spring therefor, a rotary electric motor for rewinding said spring, means for intermittently feeding current to said motor, a brake-disk secured to the armature-shaft of the motor, a brake-arm cooperating With said disk, a pole-piece for magnetically attracting said arm during the movement of said motor, and means for holding said arm in contact with said disk at the termination of said movement.

8. In an electric clock, an escapement- Wheel and anchor, a collar carried by the shaft of said Wheel, an actuating-spring extending from said collar to a relatively fixed point, an electric motor, a gearing therefrom to the relatively xed end of said spring for reWinding the same, a pin extending from said collar, a contact-bridge loosely mounted upon the shaft of said escapement-Wheel to be engaged and raised by said pin, and parallel contact-plates in circuit with said motor and disposed in the path. of said bridge.

9. In an electric clock, an escapement- Wheel and anchor, a collar carried by the shaft of said Wheel, an actuating-spring extending from said collar to a relatively fixed point, an electric motor, a gearing therefrom to the relatively fixed end of said spring for reWinding the same, a pin extending from said collar, a contact-bridge loosely mounted upon the shaft of said escapement-Wheel, parallel contact-plates in circuit With said motor and disposed in the path of said bridge, an oscillating arm disposed to travel into contact With said bridge, and means actuated by said motor for oscillating said arm.

10. In an electric clock, a rotary motor, a brake-disk carried by the shaft thereof, a brake-finger adapted to contact With said disk, a slidingly-mounted armature disposed adjacent to a pole-piece from said motor, a cooperating member carried by the opposite pole-piece and provided with an extension disposed under'said armature, and a restoring-spring adapted to throw said Alinger into contact with said disk.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

ROBERT L. HIGIIT.

Vitnesses:

Jol-IN H. CULvER, LEWIS MYERS. 

